Hunger Games Fan Fiction
by warriorsofhunger13
Summary: Isabel has been chosen to compete in the Hunger Games. Her new friend Gabby is struggling with a horrible loss. Her old friend Clyff is in pain and Isabel herself has no clue what's going to happen to her. And as the Games go on, things get worse and worse for everyone.
1. Chapter 1

_A Hunger Games Fan Fiction By: warriorsofhunger13_

_Chapter One_

I sit next to Clyff in the cave, head propped up against a rock. _The Hunger Games. _The words make me flinch and sends chills through my body.

I think of the Reaping, when my name was called. The woman who drew the names, I think her name was Amy, had called me.

"Isabel Valdez!" she had yelled. Under her breath she said, "What a nice name."

My little sister London bursts into tears. Yes, London is an odd name, but that's not the point. Her sweaty palms grip my arm and I try to break free to go on stage.

"Izzy, you can't go!" London cried. "You just can't!"

I wipe the tears away from her face. "I have to," I said. "It's for the good of our district." I pry London's arm off and make my way through the people.

Just then, a hand grabs me and pulls me back in the crowd. Someone plants a kiss on my lips and I push away to see who it is.

"Leo!" I yell. It was Leonard Jacobson who lives a couple of doors down from my house.

"I'm sorry," Leo said. "I just… can't bear to see you leave." He turns and stomps away.

I make my way upstage. Amy calls the next tribute, who is Clyff Marks.

"These two children are the tributes of District 12 for the seventy-sixth annual Hunger Games," Amy calls into the microphone. "And may the odds be _ever _in your favor!"

Clyff is shaking me back and forth. "Isabel?" he says. "Isabel!"

"Huh? What?" I say drowsily. My mind flashes back to the present. "What happened?"

"You blacked out on me," Clyff says. "You alright?"

"Yeah…" I say. "Fine. I'm going to hunt."

I get up and grab my pack and my bow and arrows. I kick over the rock blocking the entrance to the cave and go outside.

I take an arrow from my sheath and load it. I listen for sounds of any animal. _Nothing, _I think. _Not even the footsteps of my enemies. _

I move forward into the forest. Then I hear the little scuffling of a squirrel. I run forward silently.

Now I'm about three yards away from the squirrel. It must have heard me so it makes its way up a tree. But I'm too quick for it.

I let go of my arrow and it soars through the trees. It hit's the squirrel in the neck, causing the squirrel to fall to the ground and choke. I run to the squirrel and yank the arrow out of its neck.

I scoop up the squirrel and drop it in my pack. I put the arrow back in my sheath and dash back to the cave.

"Clyff!" I call in the cave. "I brought lunch!"

"Great," says Clyff. "What is it?"

"Squirrel," I say, dropping the meat at his feet. "Make a fire while I prepare the food."

I slip off my pack and set it on the ground. I take out the squirrel, mint leaves, and some berries that I had collected.

I begin skinning and gutting the squirrel, taking out anything that's inedible. I tear off a small part of squirrel for Clyff and a small piece for me.

I find two rocks with deep indents and place the squirrel meat in it along with a few berries and mint leaves.

I bring it to where Clyff had made fire and set the rocks down. I get two sticks and skewer the meat on them, then holding them over the fire.

It takes about thirty minutes, then the meat is ready.

"Lunch is ready," I tell Clyff. He's off in the corner of the cave, carving drawings into the wall with a throwing knife he had grabbed at the Cornucopia.

"About time," he says, getting up and taking a rock filled with food. "Thanks for making it."

I didn't answer. I was so starving I couldn't think about anything but my meal. Then something pops into my head.

"You know," I say. "There hasn't been any deaths since the Games started."

"Yeah'" replies Clyff. "It's kind of odd. You'd think the Career tributes would've killed so many people."

My eyes focus on Clyff's wounded shoulder. Clyff had teamed up with the Careers in the beginning of the Games. He got that wound when the Career's leader, Carson, saw Clyff protecting me.

"Traitor!" Carson had said. "You're dead to me!" Then Carson took out his machete and stabbed Clyff over and over in the shoulder.

Luckily, Clyff got away. I had helped Clyff to the cave and did my best to mend the wound. I found a leaf with plenty dew on it and applied it to his shoulder. Clyff winced when I put it on. I had then tore off one of my sleeves and tied it on the wound.

Now, we sit here in the cave, Clyff barely noticing his shoulder. Clyff sees me looking at his shoulder. He rolls it and says, "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

I yawn and say, "We should probably get some sleep. We can go explore tomorrow." I curl up into a ball close to the fire and shut my eyes. Clyff does the same and I can already hear him snoring.

I missed having the warmth of London next to me. But I guess I was going to have to get used to it. I felt so cold and lonely. _These Games are ruining me, _I think. _Why do they even exist?_

I open my eyes to check on Clyff. He's fine and he looks as if he's sleeping in a bed, all snuggled up and safe. But me? Not so much.

My eyes grow heavy and I close them. I yawn once more, and right before I drift into sleep, a cannon sounds.

_ Chapter two_

As Clyff and I race through the forest, looking for any sign of danger, I think of what the people watching us on television must think of us. My mother and London… I don't think they could stand watching Clyff and I get wounded and starve.

Come to think of it, we haven't even found water yet. I look at the little watch on my hand with a button on it. If you press the button, it records what you say and sends a message to your sponsors, asking for gifts.

I press the button and speak into it, hoping that I even have sponsors. "Water," I say. Then I say to Clyff, "I just asked for water from our unknown sponsors."

"Cool," he says. "I could definitely use some." Clyff sticks out his tongue and licks his lips, making a weird face when he notices how dry they are.

I give him the same look back and giggle. _Clyff is always so calm and laid back, _I think. _Even when we could be getting ambushed right this very moment. _I smile at him.

My mouth feels oddly gross, probably because I can't brush my teeth in the Games. I set down my pack and take out some mint leaves. I begin chewing on one and offer one to Clyff. He takes it and shoves it in his mouth.

"Better," he says. I laugh. There was something about Clyff. Something that made me feel… well, safe.

Maybe I liked him, no, loved him. _Stop that! _I tell myself. I shake the thought away. _You can't think like that when your life is on the line!_

Since we'd been out exploring, I had successfully hunted down three rabbits and a small robin. That should be enough to feed us for about, lets say, a week.

But still no trace of water. Clyff kept on sticking out his tongue, hoping to get it moist. It only made his tongue dry. We had found a small puddle of water, but it was way too dirty.

Clyff was using a rock to carve a large stick into something.

"What are you making?" I ask, hoping its something useful.

"Not sure," he says. "Maybe some kind of weapon. It doesn't have to be, but I just feel like carving something."

"Um, alright then," I say, confused about where he's getting at. "Lets head back to the cave."

We travel through the forest, stumbling over large logs and piles of leaves, hoping we didn't make any noise that could let the other tributes know we're here.

As we make our way to the cave, I can see something in the distance. It looks like a box with a little parachute attached to it.

"Clyff!" I yell. "Look. Do you think that's our first sponsor?"

Clyff just shrugs and a race over to the box and kneel to open it. I tear the tape on the box with one of my arrows and open the box's flaps.

Inside is not only a half-gallon of water but… medicine! This was more than great. It was magnificent!

"Clyff!" I say, overly exited. "Medicine for your shoulder." I pop off the cap to the bottle and squeeze some ointment on to my finger.

I untie the shirt sleeve and take it off Clyff's shoulder. I carefully apply the medicine and he winces. Then I take an odd-shaped leaf and put it on Clyff's shoulder like a Band-Aid.

I re-tie the shirt sleeve on his shoulder and take the water out of the box. The sponsor had actually provided cups for us to drink the water out of. _How nice_, I think as I pour Clyff and myself a glass, of course, not putting much into each cup.

"Drink," I command Clyff. He takes the cup and thanks me as he gulps down every last bit of what's in it.

Then I took some berries out of my pack for a small snack. I handed some to Clyff, and yet again, he shoves them all in his mouth.

"Clyff, you need to savor them, not shove them all in your mouth at once!" I nudge his arm playfully.

"Well, sor_ry,"_ he says, rolling his eyes. "I can't help it if I'm totally starving."

I want to hit Clyff. He could be so annoying sometimes. But, yet, it made me feel good to have a friend. I told Clyff I'd be hunting, grabbed my pack, and went outside.

I traveled farther into the forest this time, not caring that I could get lost. _Today, _I tell myself, _Clyff and I will get some new allies. _Now, of course, we couldn't team up with the Careers, after what they did to Clyff. We needed someone… sensitive.

I thought of the tributes I knew. There was Simone from District 5, or maybe Mason from District 9. I had met them at the Capitol training center. They seemed nice, and quite helpful. I decided to look for them. Then I think, _what if one of them was the person who died last night?_ I try not to think about it. Besides, none of them will want to be allies with a couple of wimps like Clyff and I.

Then the sound of footsteps startle me. I whip around and load my bow, ready to shoot. I see a small figure in the distance, not small enough to be prey, but like a small person. The person jumps when he/she sees me.

"Oh my goodness!" says the person, who is obviously a girl from hearing her voice. "I am _so _sorry I frightened you! I honestly hadn't meant to."_  
_

"Well, show yourself," I say trying to sound confident but still shaky.

The girl steps closer to me and now I can get a good look at her. She has dark skin and bright eyes, very pretty. "I'm Gabrielle, the girl from 11, you know, the agricultural one."

"Yes, I know," I say. Gabrielle looked small, probably 12 years old, one year older than London. "I'm Isabel, and I'm pleased to meet you."

Gabrielle smiles and says, "Oh, that's such a nice name. If we can be friends then you can call me Gabby."

"Of course we can be friends. I have someone you might like to meet, too."

I lead Gabby back to the cave where Clyff is waiting, looking quite annoyed for one reason or another.

"Where have you been?" Clyff snaps at me. "And why didn't you catch anything?"

"I... caught a friend," I say stupidly.

That makes Gabby laugh, which makes me laugh, and gets us all laughing. "Oh, wow!" says Gabby, thrilled to have a laugh in such a sad time. "I am so happy to have someone to make me smile after what happened to my brother."

I knew I shouldn't ask but the words slipped out of me. "What happened to him?"

Gabby's face turns dark as night. "Percy- that's my brother- had something special about him. I never understood what it was because I was only five at that time, and my mother never told me what Percy had that was so special. But the day Percy turned eleven, he told me that he was going on a quest to save the world. He said he didn't have time to say goodbye to anyone else but me, which made me feel a little better. So i told my mother and she started crying. We mourned for Percy each day and prayed that he would come back, but... but..."

"He never came back did he?" Clyff asks, and I punch him lightly, hinting him that he shouldn't have asked.

Gabby shakes her head as silent tears stream down her face. "That's why, when I was Reaped for the Games I was happy 'cause I know I'm gonna die, and if I die, I can be with Percy." Gabby is now trying her best to choke out the words. "I love you Percy. I miss you. I can't wait to see you..."

I pull Gabby into my arms and realize that I'm starting to cry, too. "Don't talk like that," I say to her in a calm, comforting voice. "Percy's spirit will always be in you and all of your family, I promise. And we're gonna get you out of these Games alive, even if it costs the lives of Clyff and I. You got it?"

Gabby nods. She's trembling and my shirt is getting wet with her tears, and a little of my own. I hush her and tell her everything's going to be fine. Clyff is crying too, and I beckon him to come over and join the huddle. All three of us bundled together made me feel strong, like I could do anything because I had friends. _I wonder if they feel the same way._

Gabby pulls away from my grasp and says, "I want to rest." I don't stop her. I was getting quite tired too. As I build a fire, Gabby goes through a pack she has. In it Gabby has some beef, a small container filled with water, and a blanket. She must have grabbed that at the Cornucopia, along with a huge fight for it.

When the fire is lit, I motion Clyff to check if I did it right, because I knew I did something wrong, judging the small size of the fire. "It needs more wood," says Clyff, grabbing some sticks off the ground. He throws them in and over time the fire grows.

We all settle down to sleep and I tuck Gabby in tightly with the blanket. "Could you sing me a lullaby?" she whispers. "It's the only way I can get to sleep after... you know." That caught me by surprise. But then I thought of London, and how she used to love it when I sang to her. I guess one song would be okay.

"Alright," I say. "Just one:

_I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I'll never let you go,_

_when all those shadows almost killed your light._

_And I remember you said don't leave me here alone_

_when all that's dead and gone and past, tonight._

_Just close your eyes, the sun is going down_

_You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now_

_Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound._

_Don't you dare look out your window, darling everything's on fire._

_The war outside our door keeps raging on._

_Curled up to this lullaby,_

_even when musics gone, gone._

_Just close your eyes, the sun is going down._

_You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now._

_Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound._

_Oh, oh, oh_

_Just close your eyes._

_You'll be alright._

_Come morning light, you and I'll be safe, and sound._

Gabby's breathing gets heavy and I lean down to kiss her forehead. Then I lay close to the fire and close my eyes.

In my dreams, I'm sitting in the Meadow by our District, having a picnic with my mother London, and Leo, which is normally what we did on a Saturday afternoon, just to kick back and relax. But something was wrong. There was no fence blocking off the forest beyond our District. In fact, I didn't even see the Seam, the town in District 12 where I lived.

But everyone seemed happy, not a care in the world. I didn't understand. Then Leo gets up, grabs my arm, and pulls me into the forest. Probably to do our everyday hunting. But I had a feeling that wasn't the case. We were running away, going off to live in the forest.

Leo takes me farther into the forest then we've ever been before. We duck under low branches, trip over boulders, and scare off all the animals with the ruckus we were making. I ask Leo where we were going and he just says "You'll see"

We come to an abandoned cabin where Leo said we could stay for the night before we continued moving. Leo takes a deep breath and swings open the cabin door. The last thing I remember hearing was a cheerful, familiar voice saying my name.

"Isabel!"


	2. Chapter 2

_A Hunger Games Fan Fiction By: warriorsofhunger13_

_Chapter One_

I sit next to Clyff in the cave, head propped up against a rock. _The Hunger Games. _The words make me flinch and sends chills through my body.

I think of the Reaping, when my name was called. The woman who drew the names, I think her name was Amy, had called me.

"Isabel Valdez!" she had yelled. Under her breath she said, "What a nice name."

My little sister London bursts into tears. Yes, London is an odd name, but that's not the point. Her sweaty palms grip my arm and I try to break free to go on stage.

"Izzy, you can't go!" London cried. "You just can't!"

I wipe the tears away from her face. "I have to," I said. "It's for the good of our district." I pry London's arm off and make my way through the people.

Just then, a hand grabs me and pulls me back in the crowd. Someone plants a kiss on my lips and I push away to see who it is.

"Leo!" I yell. It was Leonard Jacobson who lives a couple of doors down from my house.

"I'm sorry," Leo said. "I just… can't bear to see you leave." He turns and stomps away.

I make my way upstage. Amy calls the next tribute, who is Clyff Marks.

"These two children are the tributes of District 12 for the seventy-sixth annual Hunger Games," Amy calls into the microphone. "And may the odds be _ever _in your favor!"

Clyff is shaking me back and forth. "Isabel?" he says. "Isabel!"

"Huh? What?" I say drowsily. My mind flashes back to the present. "What happened?"

"You blacked out on me," Clyff says. "You alright?"

"Yeah…" I say. "Fine. I'm going to hunt."

I get up and grab my pack and my bow and arrows. I kick over the rock blocking the entrance to the cave and go outside.

I take an arrow from my sheath and load it. I listen for sounds of any animal. _Nothing, _I think. _Not even the footsteps of my enemies. _

I move forward into the forest. Then I hear the little scuffling of a squirrel. I run forward silently.

Now I'm about three yards away from the squirrel. It must have heard me so it makes its way up a tree. But I'm too quick for it.

I let go of my arrow and it soars through the trees. It hit's the squirrel in the neck, causing the squirrel to fall to the ground and choke. I run to the squirrel and yank the arrow out of its neck.

I scoop up the squirrel and drop it in my pack. I put the arrow back in my sheath and dash back to the cave.

"Clyff!" I call in the cave. "I brought lunch!"

"Great," says Clyff. "What is it?"

"Squirrel," I say, dropping the meat at his feet. "Make a fire while I prepare the food."

I slip off my pack and set it on the ground. I take out the squirrel, mint leaves, and some berries that I had collected.

I begin skinning and gutting the squirrel, taking out anything that's inedible. I tear off a small part of squirrel for Clyff and a small piece for me.

I find two rocks with deep indents and place the squirrel meat in it along with a few berries and mint leaves.

I bring it to where Clyff had made fire and set the rocks down. I get two sticks and skewer the meat on them, then holding them over the fire.

It takes about thirty minutes, then the meat is ready.

"Lunch is ready," I tell Clyff. He's off in the corner of the cave, carving drawings into the wall with a throwing knife he had grabbed at the Cornucopia.

"About time," he says, getting up and taking a rock filled with food. "Thanks for making it."

I didn't answer. I was so starving I couldn't think about anything but my meal. Then something pops into my head.

"You know," I say. "There hasn't been any deaths since the Games started."

"Yeah'" replies Clyff. "It's kind of odd. You'd think the Career tributes would've killed so many people."

My eyes focus on Clyff's wounded shoulder. Clyff had teamed up with the Careers in the beginning of the Games. He got that wound when the Career's leader, Carson, saw Clyff protecting me.

"Traitor!" Carson had said. "You're dead to me!" Then Carson took out his machete and stabbed Clyff over and over in the shoulder.

Luckily, Clyff got away. I had helped Clyff to the cave and did my best to mend the wound. I found a leaf with plenty dew on it and applied it to his shoulder. Clyff winced when I put it on. I had then tore off one of my sleeves and tied it on the wound.

Now, we sit here in the cave, Clyff barely noticing his shoulder. Clyff sees me looking at his shoulder. He rolls it and says, "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

I yawn and say, "We should probably get some sleep. We can go explore tomorrow." I curl up into a ball close to the fire and shut my eyes. Clyff does the same and I can already hear him snoring.

I missed having the warmth of London next to me. But I guess I was going to have to get used to it. I felt so cold and lonely. _These Games are ruining me, _I think. _Why do they even exist?_

I open my eyes to check on Clyff. He's fine and he looks as if he's sleeping in a bed, all snuggled up and safe. But me? Not so much.

My eyes grow heavy and I close them. I yawn once more, and right before I drift into sleep, a cannon sounds.

_ Chapter two_

As Clyff and I race through the forest, looking for any sign of danger, I think of what the people watching us on television must think of us. My mother and London… I don't think they could stand watching Clyff and I get wounded and starve.

Come to think of it, we haven't even found water yet. I look at the little watch on my hand with a button on it. If you press the button, it records what you say and sends a message to your sponsors, asking for gifts.

I press the button and speak into it, hoping that I even have sponsors. "Water," I say. Then I say to Clyff, "I just asked for water from our unknown sponsors."

"Cool," he says. "I could definitely use some." Clyff sticks out his tongue and licks his lips, making a weird face when he notices how dry they are.

I give him the same look back and giggle. _Clyff is always so calm and laid back, _I think. _Even when we could be getting ambushed right this very moment. _I smile at him.

My mouth feels oddly gross, probably because I can't brush my teeth in the Games. I set down my pack and take out some mint leaves. I begin chewing on one and offer one to Clyff. He takes it and shoves it in his mouth.

"Better," he says. I laugh. There was something about Clyff. Something that made me feel… well, safe.

Maybe I liked him, no, loved him. _Stop that! _I tell myself. I shake the thought away. _You can't think like that when your life is on the line!_

Since we'd been out exploring, I had successfully hunted down three rabbits and a small robin. That should be enough to feed us for about, lets say, a week.

But still no trace of water. Clyff kept on sticking out his tongue, hoping to get it moist. It only made his tongue dry. We had found a small puddle of water, but it was way too dirty.

Clyff was using a rock to carve a large stick into something.

"What are you making?" I ask, hoping its something useful.

"Not sure," he says. "Maybe some kind of weapon. It doesn't have to be, but I just feel like carving something."

"Um, alright then," I say, confused about where he's getting at. "Lets head back to the cave."

We travel through the forest, stumbling over large logs and piles of leaves, hoping we didn't make any noise that could let the other tributes know we're here.

As we make our way to the cave, I can see something in the distance. It looks like a box with a little parachute attached to it.

"Clyff!" I yell. "Look. Do you think that's our first sponsor?"

Clyff just shrugs and a race over to the box and kneel to open it. I tear the tape on the box with one of my arrows and open the box's flaps.

Inside is not only a half-gallon of water but… medicine! This was more than great. It was magnificent!

"Clyff!" I say, overly exited. "Medicine for your shoulder." I pop off the cap to the bottle and squeeze some ointment on to my finger.

I untie the shirt sleeve and take it off Clyff's shoulder. I carefully apply the medicine and he winces. Then I take an odd-shaped leaf and put it on Clyff's shoulder like a Band-Aid.

I re-tie the shirt sleeve on his shoulder and take the water out of the box. The sponsor had actually provided cups for us to drink the water out of. _How nice_, I think as I pour Clyff and myself a glass, of course, not putting much into each cup.

"Drink," I command Clyff. He takes the cup and thanks me as he gulps down every last bit of what's in it.

Then I took some berries out of my pack for a small snack. I handed some to Clyff, and yet again, he shoves them all in his mouth.

"Clyff, you need to savor them, not shove them all in your mouth at once!" I nudge his arm playfully.

"Well, sor_ry,"_ he says, rolling his eyes. "I can't help it if I'm totally starving."

I want to hit Clyff. He could be so annoying sometimes. But, yet, it made me feel good to have a friend. I told Clyff I'd be hunting, grabbed my pack, and went outside.

I traveled farther into the forest this time, not caring that I could get lost. _Today, _I tell myself, _Clyff and I will get some new allies. _Now, of course, we couldn't team up with the Careers, after what they did to Clyff. We needed someone… sensitive.

I thought of the tributes I knew. There was Simone from District 5, or maybe Mason from District 9. I had met them at the Capitol training center. They seemed nice, and quite helpful. I decided to look for them. Then I think, _what if one of them was the person who died last night?_ I try not to think about it. Besides, none of them will want to be allies with a couple of wimps like Clyff and I.

Then the sound of footsteps startle me. I whip around and load my bow, ready to shoot. I see a small figure in the distance, not small enough to be prey, but like a small person. The person jumps when he/she sees me.

"Oh my goodness!" says the person, who is obviously a girl from hearing her voice. "I am _so _sorry I frightened you! I honestly hadn't meant to."_  
_

"Well, show yourself," I say trying to sound confident but still shaky.

The girl steps closer to me and now I can get a good look at her. She has dark skin and bright eyes, very pretty. "I'm Gabrielle, the girl from 11, you know, the agricultural one."

"Yes, I know," I say. Gabrielle looked small, probably 12 years old, one year older than London. "I'm Isabel, and I'm pleased to meet you."

Gabrielle smiles and says, "Oh, that's such a nice name. If we can be friends then you can call me Gabby."

"Of course we can be friends. I have someone you might like to meet, too."

I lead Gabby back to the cave where Clyff is waiting, looking quite annoyed for one reason or another.

"Where have you been?" Clyff snaps at me. "And why didn't you catch anything?"

"I... caught a friend," I say stupidly.

That makes Gabby laugh, which makes me laugh, and gets us all laughing. "Oh, wow!" says Gabby, thrilled to have a laugh in such a sad time. "I am so happy to have someone to make me smile after what happened to my brother."

I knew I shouldn't ask but the words slipped out of me. "What happened to him?"

Gabby's face turns dark as night. "Percy- that's my brother- had something special about him. I never understood what it was because I was only five at that time, and my mother never told me what Percy had that was so special. But the day Percy turned eleven, he told me that he was going on a quest to save the world. He said he didn't have time to say goodbye to anyone else but me, which made me feel a little better. So i told my mother and she started crying. We mourned for Percy each day and prayed that he would come back, but... but..."

"He never came back did he?" Clyff asks, and I punch him lightly, hinting him that he shouldn't have asked.

Gabby shakes her head as silent tears stream down her face. "That's why, when I was Reaped for the Games I was happy 'cause I know I'm gonna die, and if I die, I can be with Percy." Gabby is now trying her best to choke out the words. "I love you Percy. I miss you. I can't wait to see you..."

I pull Gabby into my arms and realize that I'm starting to cry, too. "Don't talk like that," I say to her in a calm, comforting voice. "Percy's spirit will always be in you and all of your family, I promise. And we're gonna get you out of these Games alive, even if it costs the lives of Clyff and I. You got it?"

Gabby nods. She's trembling and my shirt is getting wet with her tears, and a little of my own. I hush her and tell her everything's going to be fine. Clyff is crying too, and I beckon him to come over and join the huddle. All three of us bundled together made me feel strong, like I could do anything because I had friends. _I wonder if they feel the same way._

Gabby pulls away from my grasp and says, "I want to rest." I don't stop her. I was getting quite tired too. As I build a fire, Gabby goes through a pack she has. In it Gabby has some beef, a small container filled with water, and a blanket. She must have grabbed that at the Cornucopia, along with a huge fight for it.

When the fire is lit, I motion Clyff to check if I did it right, because I knew I did something wrong, judging the small size of the fire. "It needs more wood," says Clyff, grabbing some sticks off the ground. He throws them in and over time the fire grows.

We all settle down to sleep and I tuck Gabby in tightly with the blanket. "Could you sing me a lullaby?" she whispers. "It's the only way I can get to sleep after... you know." That caught me by surprise. But then I thought of London, and how she used to love it when I sang to her. I guess one song would be okay.

"Alright," I say. "Just one:

_I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I'll never let you go,_

_when all those shadows almost killed your light._

_And I remember you said don't leave me here alone_

_when all that's dead and gone and past, tonight._

_Just close your eyes, the sun is going down_

_You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now_

_Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound._

_Don't you dare look out your window, darling everything's on fire._

_The war outside our door keeps raging on._

_Curled up to this lullaby,_

_even when musics gone, gone._

_Just close your eyes, the sun is going down._

_You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now._

_Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound._

_Oh, oh, oh_

_Just close your eyes._

_You'll be alright._

_Come morning light, you and I'll be safe, and sound._

Gabby's breathing gets heavy and I lean down to kiss her forehead. Then I lay close to the fire and close my eyes.

In my dreams, I'm sitting in the Meadow by our District, having a picnic with my mother London, and Leo, which is normally what we did on a Saturday afternoon, just to kick back and relax. But something was wrong. There was no fence blocking off the forest beyond our District. In fact, I didn't even see the Seam, the town in District 12 where I lived.

But everyone seemed happy, not a care in the world. I didn't understand. Then Leo gets up, grabs my arm, and pulls me into the forest. Probably to do our everyday hunting. But I had a feeling that wasn't the case. We were running away, going off to live in the forest.

Leo takes me farther into the forest then we've ever been before. We duck under low branches, trip over boulders, and scare off all the animals with the ruckus we were making. I ask Leo where we were going and he just says "You'll see"

We come to an abandoned cabin where Leo said we could stay for the night before we continued moving. Leo takes a deep breath and swings open the cabin door. The last thing I remember hearing was a cheerful, familiar voice saying my name.

"Isabel!"


End file.
